Electronics

After working with earlier versions of the RC transmitter hardware, I ran into a few small issues that made me rethink the PCB design.

In this update, I’ll walk through the changes I made to both the transmitter and receiver PCBs to improve signal stability and add a few useful features.

You’ll see how I tackled noise problems with additional capacitors, added extra I/O options, and reworked joystick channels for redundancy.

When I first started building this RC transmitter, I quickly realised that packing all the controls into a clean, efficient radio payload was more than just plugging in values - it was a chance to make the whole system smarter and leaner.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk through how I optimised the payload for the ESP32 + SX1280 setup so that digital inputs, switches, joysticks, and other controls use as little space as possible without losing responsiveness.

Before your custom RC transmitter is ready for real use, it needs to be calibrated.

This step makes sure your joysticks, switches, and potentiometers are reading correctly and responding the way you expect.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk through the calibration process for the ESP32 + SX1280 setup, including enabling calibration mode, reading values, and updating your configuration.

There's something oddly satisfying about connecting wires and watching a project come to life.

Now, we'll tackle the wiring for the custom RC transmitter using the ESP32 and SX1280.

Ever wanted to build your very own RC transmitter from scratch?

Well, you’re in the right place! In this guide, we’re diving into a hands-on project using an ESP32 and the SX1280 radio module to create a fully functional, custom remote. No matter if you’re a drone pilot, an RC hobbyist, or just love tinkering with electronics, we’ll walk through every step.

By the end, you’ll have a unique transmitter that’s all yours, and hopefully, a few new tricks up your sleeve for your next maker adventure.